260 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 
was to be shot; he was in good health, but had 
become objectionable indoors. I had to leave my 
old dog while I arranged his passing. So much 
better was she that as I moved to leave her she 
raised her head, and looked at me, as much as 
to say, ‘I can’t come with you; come back soon.’ 
But in death they were not divided, for when I 
returned she, too, was dead. 
Once, some years before, I thought this old dog 
had gone suddenly mad. She was kennelled for 
the time being in a shed, to which I went to release 
her. No sooner had I undone her chain than she 
rushed past me, and tore all over the place, howling. 
I called her by name, but she took not the slightest 
notice, and continued to rush about, howling and 
barking and showing her teeth in the most alarming 
manner. I was thinking how best to get at my gun 
before she did any damage, when quite suddenly 
she recovered her senses. How glad I felt that I 
had not my gun with me when I unchained her! 
This is what had happened—whenever she heard 
me coming she would start wagging her tail 
energetically, and on this occasion she had set 
rolling half a paraffin barrel, which was in her shed. 
The iron-bound edge of the barrel had nipped her 
tail, causing ‘funny-bone’ pain. This I proved by 
feeling her all over till I touched the spot. The 
mysterious part of the affair was that she was per- 
fectly all right while I was in the act of releasing 
